Disclaimer – I don't own Troy.
It was a week (I apologize if I get times wrong, especially because in the book the war took about 10-14 years...and in the movie it seemed to take...weeks.) before Ametreus saw Paris again. He had sent a messenger to her house, asking her to meet him in the palace. Her heart leapt. Perhaps he had sent the wench home by now! She picked up the skirts of her gown and began to hurry towards the palace, struggling to move as fast as she wished and still hold her wretched parasol. When she reached the palace, she asked a servant to lead her to Prince Paris. The serving maid bowed.
"As you wish, milady." Ametreus was led through the maze of passages and corridors she and Paris had haunted during their childhood. She smiled wryly as she remembered how Hector had always been a corridor behind, yelling at the hidden figures to quit their games. Paris had always liked to play tricks on Hector as children. Finally, the maid stopped outside a door. From behind it, Ametreus could hear running water. Ametreus thanked the maid and hurried in. The room had been built so that through a large rectangular cut in the ceiling, water from a river flowed in, forming a waterfall. It splashed down a wall of rock to fall into a pool that had been made. Flat topped rocks were around the pool, providing chairs. Paris was treading water in the middle of the pool. He had discarded of his shirt, but wore a loincloth (a LONG loincloth...not like Tarzan.) around his waist. He looked distracted, but looked up when he heard Ametreus shut the door. His brown eyes softened and he smiled.
"Ametreus! It's good to see you! Come in, the water's fine." He said with a laugh. Ametreus grinned and after slipping her sandals off, sat with her feet dangling in the water.
"I can't come in. I didn't bring a spare gown. You failed to mention that." She pointed out. Paris smiled and swam over, grabbing her bare ankle with one hand and tugged threateningly.
"Please? I promise I'll pay you back whatever money is needed to buy a new one." Paris promised, pleading. Ametreus grinned and shook her head. She leaned over and tapped his head.
"No thank you, Prince. I quite like staying dry." She said haughtily. Paris smirked.
"Is that so?" He cupped his hands and splashed water up at her. Ametreus laughed and leaned back.
"I should call the REAL prince and have him punish you!" Ametreus teased, referring to Hector. Paris played along.
"Oh no, not the High and Mighty Prince Hector! I would be flogged and forced to sleep on a bed of needles for weeks!" Paris laughed. Everyone in the palace knew that Hector was very easy on Paris when it came to punishment.
"At least Prince Hector has the decency not to splash a lady!" Ametreus chided. Paris grinned and splashed her again.
"Oh come on Amet, just come in. If you're afraid," He taunted, "then jump and I'll catch you." He backed up a few feet and held out his arms. Ametreus raised an eyebrow and scowled.
"I have never been scared in my life, Paris." She seethed. She stood up on the rock. "I should have you forfeit your life for speaking such blasphemy!" She threatened. A second later, she raised her arms over her head and dove into the water behind Paris. He laughed when she surfaced again and pulled her hair out of her face.
"I knew that would get you in." He said proudly. Ametreus glared at him, focusing on how difficult it was to swim in a dress. He swam closer to her. Her eyes locked with his intense dark eyes and she looked down, sinking slightly in the cool water to hide her blushing face.
"Amet, can I talk to you about something?" He asked quietly.
"Of course." Ametreus granted.
"You can't tell anyone."
"I won't."
"Promise?"
"I swear." She assured him, just like when they were little and he confessed to breaking his brother's prized toy elephant.
"Have you ever been in love?" He asked then, his deep eyes locking once more on Ametreus's light green ones.
"No." Ametreus said quickly, almost too quickly. She wondered why he couldn't see through her lie, how he couldn't feel her heart making the water around them pulse and that her face had turned so fiery red it looked like she smashed tomatoes on her face.
"I'm in love." He confided, a smile instantly lighting up his face. Ametreus's jaw dropped.
"By the Gods Paris, with whom?" Ametreus cried, feeling as if heart had shuttled her backwards. A heavenly expression settled of Paris's face.
"With Helen." He said in a low voice.
"Helen?" Ametreus yelped, appalled. The room was spinning, it seemed too hot and cold all at once.
"When you find love Amet, you'll hope it'll never leave. It consumes you, it makes you happy no matter what is happier, it makes you brave and fearless and terrified at the same time. "Ametreus wished she could focus on something.
"Paris...Paris...Helen? Helen of Sparta?"
"Helen of Troy." Paris reprimanded sharply. Ametreus somehow managed to swim over to a rock, and with her arms pulled herself up. She was standing up to go but Paris grabbed her ankle again.
"Listen to me!" He said, desperate for someone to talk to him, some advice. He crawled up onto the rock as well and held tightly to her wrist so that she would stay still.
"Why?"
"I need to talk to my best friend." He said firmly. Ametreus sighed and stopped struggling, cursing herself for giving in to him and his pleading look.
"All right."
"Helen was married at sixteen to Menelaus, the Spartan king. When Hector and I met with the king for the peace talk, I met Helen. We connected. Afterwards, we got together and when it came time to leave...I took her with me. It wasn't fair. Menelaus cheated on Helen with every servant, every maid, every other man's wife. But Helen was kept away from everyone like a dog with rabies. She came with me because she loves me. And I love her." Paris finished, his eyes meeting Ametreus. She knew what he was asking. Slowly, she put her hand under his chin.
"You did what you thought was right. But Paris, oh Paris...what will happen to the rest of us not protected by love's shield? Menelaus will be angry, very angry. His brother is powerful Paris. I fear that the rest of us will pay." She told him simply. Then she got up and left Paris to ponder.
---- Sorry it took me so long to write this! But I hope you enjoy the latest chapter. More is on the way!
It was a week (I apologize if I get times wrong, especially because in the book the war took about 10-14 years...and in the movie it seemed to take...weeks.) before Ametreus saw Paris again. He had sent a messenger to her house, asking her to meet him in the palace. Her heart leapt. Perhaps he had sent the wench home by now! She picked up the skirts of her gown and began to hurry towards the palace, struggling to move as fast as she wished and still hold her wretched parasol. When she reached the palace, she asked a servant to lead her to Prince Paris. The serving maid bowed.
"As you wish, milady." Ametreus was led through the maze of passages and corridors she and Paris had haunted during their childhood. She smiled wryly as she remembered how Hector had always been a corridor behind, yelling at the hidden figures to quit their games. Paris had always liked to play tricks on Hector as children. Finally, the maid stopped outside a door. From behind it, Ametreus could hear running water. Ametreus thanked the maid and hurried in. The room had been built so that through a large rectangular cut in the ceiling, water from a river flowed in, forming a waterfall. It splashed down a wall of rock to fall into a pool that had been made. Flat topped rocks were around the pool, providing chairs. Paris was treading water in the middle of the pool. He had discarded of his shirt, but wore a loincloth (a LONG loincloth...not like Tarzan.) around his waist. He looked distracted, but looked up when he heard Ametreus shut the door. His brown eyes softened and he smiled.
"Ametreus! It's good to see you! Come in, the water's fine." He said with a laugh. Ametreus grinned and after slipping her sandals off, sat with her feet dangling in the water.
"I can't come in. I didn't bring a spare gown. You failed to mention that." She pointed out. Paris smiled and swam over, grabbing her bare ankle with one hand and tugged threateningly.
"Please? I promise I'll pay you back whatever money is needed to buy a new one." Paris promised, pleading. Ametreus grinned and shook her head. She leaned over and tapped his head.
"No thank you, Prince. I quite like staying dry." She said haughtily. Paris smirked.
"Is that so?" He cupped his hands and splashed water up at her. Ametreus laughed and leaned back.
"I should call the REAL prince and have him punish you!" Ametreus teased, referring to Hector. Paris played along.
"Oh no, not the High and Mighty Prince Hector! I would be flogged and forced to sleep on a bed of needles for weeks!" Paris laughed. Everyone in the palace knew that Hector was very easy on Paris when it came to punishment.
"At least Prince Hector has the decency not to splash a lady!" Ametreus chided. Paris grinned and splashed her again.
"Oh come on Amet, just come in. If you're afraid," He taunted, "then jump and I'll catch you." He backed up a few feet and held out his arms. Ametreus raised an eyebrow and scowled.
"I have never been scared in my life, Paris." She seethed. She stood up on the rock. "I should have you forfeit your life for speaking such blasphemy!" She threatened. A second later, she raised her arms over her head and dove into the water behind Paris. He laughed when she surfaced again and pulled her hair out of her face.
"I knew that would get you in." He said proudly. Ametreus glared at him, focusing on how difficult it was to swim in a dress. He swam closer to her. Her eyes locked with his intense dark eyes and she looked down, sinking slightly in the cool water to hide her blushing face.
"Amet, can I talk to you about something?" He asked quietly.
"Of course." Ametreus granted.
"You can't tell anyone."
"I won't."
"Promise?"
"I swear." She assured him, just like when they were little and he confessed to breaking his brother's prized toy elephant.
"Have you ever been in love?" He asked then, his deep eyes locking once more on Ametreus's light green ones.
"No." Ametreus said quickly, almost too quickly. She wondered why he couldn't see through her lie, how he couldn't feel her heart making the water around them pulse and that her face had turned so fiery red it looked like she smashed tomatoes on her face.
"I'm in love." He confided, a smile instantly lighting up his face. Ametreus's jaw dropped.
"By the Gods Paris, with whom?" Ametreus cried, feeling as if heart had shuttled her backwards. A heavenly expression settled of Paris's face.
"With Helen." He said in a low voice.
"Helen?" Ametreus yelped, appalled. The room was spinning, it seemed too hot and cold all at once.
"When you find love Amet, you'll hope it'll never leave. It consumes you, it makes you happy no matter what is happier, it makes you brave and fearless and terrified at the same time. "Ametreus wished she could focus on something.
"Paris...Paris...Helen? Helen of Sparta?"
"Helen of Troy." Paris reprimanded sharply. Ametreus somehow managed to swim over to a rock, and with her arms pulled herself up. She was standing up to go but Paris grabbed her ankle again.
"Listen to me!" He said, desperate for someone to talk to him, some advice. He crawled up onto the rock as well and held tightly to her wrist so that she would stay still.
"Why?"
"I need to talk to my best friend." He said firmly. Ametreus sighed and stopped struggling, cursing herself for giving in to him and his pleading look.
"All right."
"Helen was married at sixteen to Menelaus, the Spartan king. When Hector and I met with the king for the peace talk, I met Helen. We connected. Afterwards, we got together and when it came time to leave...I took her with me. It wasn't fair. Menelaus cheated on Helen with every servant, every maid, every other man's wife. But Helen was kept away from everyone like a dog with rabies. She came with me because she loves me. And I love her." Paris finished, his eyes meeting Ametreus. She knew what he was asking. Slowly, she put her hand under his chin.
"You did what you thought was right. But Paris, oh Paris...what will happen to the rest of us not protected by love's shield? Menelaus will be angry, very angry. His brother is powerful Paris. I fear that the rest of us will pay." She told him simply. Then she got up and left Paris to ponder.
---- Sorry it took me so long to write this! But I hope you enjoy the latest chapter. More is on the way!